Product Description

An autobiography of Diana Mitford describing how it came about that both Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler adored her, and Evelyn Waugh and Oswald Mosley fell in love with her.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18339 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 324 pages

Review
'Beautifully written.' The Times --1

'Martini-dry wit.' Irish Times --2

'A must-read.' Express --3

Selina Hastings
‘a rare treat.'

Anne de Courcy, in The Viceroy's Daughters
'She was clearly a star...'

Customer Reviews

Fascinating and frightening in equal turns
I bought this book out of curiosity, wondering how the author would attempt to reconcile herself to her rather dubious past, I quickly discovered that she was to make no such attempt whatsoever. She happily relates attendance at Nazi rallies and cosy fireside chats with Hitler, presenting Fascism as a perfectly respectable political opinion, the violence at Moseley's rallies described as being caused entirely by communist agitators.

She comes across as frightfully upper class, and gives lavish descriptions of the interior decor of every house she ever lived in - the phrase "Louis XVI furniture" occurs with astonishing regularity! This is in sharp contrast to her imprisonment - for three years, without any trial or judgement -in the atmospherically described dark and squalid Holloway.

The book is made fascinating, not only by the writer's unashamedly outrageous opinions, but also by the intriguing cast of characters that pass through it: her sister Unity, a stronger Fascist than Diana, who attempted suicide when England declared war on Germany, then spent the rest of her short life searching, it seems in vain, for spiritual truth - Winston Churchill, described throughout as "Cousin Winston" - Evelyn Waugh, who dedicates a book to her - Magda Goebbels, whom Diana states did the right thing by killing herself and her children - and, of course, Mosley himself, referred to throughout by Diana as simply "M", and who remains, through to the last page, strangely enigmatic.

Diana - the immortal fascist
Lady Mosley - aristocrat, beauty, wit, friend of Hitler and undiluted fascist: a mix that still captivates and fascinates many sixty two years after she was imprisoned with her husband, the Britsh Union of Fascists leader, Sir Oswald, in 1940. This book shows her to be more than an echo of another era. She is still remarkably unrepentant and whatever one thinks about her extraordinary politcs (''such a pity that the jews didn't all go to Madagscar or somewhere,'' she tell us breezily) Diana Mosley remains a strangely compelling figure. Plainly such extremism, one could argue, is at least refreshingly honest, although it must be added, more than a little chilling too.

Contrasts indeed
Having read quite a bit about the Mitfords and Diana Mosley I was not very surprised by my overall reaction to this Autobiography. I can't help wondering if the amazing privileges and there for complete and utter contrast to most peoples lives isn't really the true meaning of the title!
Every time that the atrocities against the Jews are talked about Mosley counter attacks with what she saw as a similar horror perpetrated by the English indeed she makes quite clear not only her anti war time government views but also her anti british feelings. I am sure that it must have indeed been dreadful for a member of the aristocracy to have been imprisoned without trial but surely she and her husband must have realized the dangerous beliefs that they held coupled with their families friendship with one of the most evil dictators of the last century (even though ' he was rather kind with lovely hands') was going to impinge on their freedom at a time of World War.I am glad I read the book and would recommend it certainly a lesson in being dazzled by delusion.